London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Feb 17, 2026

Martin Lambie-Nairn: Designer behind famous BBC and Channel 4 'idents' dies

Martin Lambie-Nairn: Designer behind famous BBC and Channel 4 'idents' dies

Martin Lambie-Nairn, the noted designer who created popular "idents" for the BBC and Channel 4, has died aged 75.

His design consultancy created Channel 4's original animated "blocks" logo in 1982 and the globe balloon idents used by BBC One from 1997 to 2001.

His company also produced memorable idents for BBC Two, one of which had blue paint splashing horizontally across the screen to hit a metallic 2.

He was recently seen discussing his work on BBC Four's The Sound of TV.

Lambie-Nairn's death on Christmas Day was announced by ML-N, the consultancy he co-founded.


He was behind Channel 4's original blocks logo


In a statement, it described him as "one of the leading graphic designers and creative directors of his generation".

"His exceptional work, kindness and infectious creative spirit touched the lives of so many people," the statement continued.

"He will be hugely missed by everyone who had the privilege to work alongside him over the years."

Former Apple design chief Sir Jony Ive also paid tribute, saying he was "fortunate" Lambie-Nairn had "defined part of my visual landscape growing up".

"His work for the BBC was so very gentle, thoughtful and beautiful," he said.

"Identities driven by beauty and not a marketing agenda are so rare and so valuable."


He also conceived BBC One's familiar globe balloon


Lambie-Nairn's other credits include satirical puppet show Spitting Image, which he co-created with John Lloyd, Roger Law and and Peter Fluck.

It was Lambie-Nairn who suggested Fluck and Law make a show based on their sculpted caricatures.

This led to episodes of the original show, recently revived by streaming service BritBox, bearing the credit "From an original lunch by Martin Lambie-Nairn".

Other brand signifiers in which his company had a hand include the bubble logo used by mobile phone company O2.

He also oversaw a Blue Peter competition to design the official emblem for the Queen's diamond jubilee in 2012.


His BBC Two idents gave the channel a sleek new identity


Speaking to the BBC in 2013, Lambie-Nairn said designers like himself were "in the business of setting channels apart from each other".

"All branding is about setting yourself apart and trying to be clear to your audience or customers that you stand for this set of values," he continued.

Ident is an industry term used to describe a moving logo shown to identify a TV channel between programmes.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Reform UK Appoints Former Conservative Minister Robert Jenrick as Finance Chief
UK Unemployment Rises to Highest in Nearly Five Years as Labour Market Weakens
Nigel Farage Names Reform UK Frontbench Team and Signals Zero Tolerance for Internal Dissent
Qualcomm to Withdraw UK Lawsuit Over Smartphone Chip Royalty Dispute
Major UK Banks Explore Domestic Card Network to Rival Visa and Mastercard
Cold Health Alert Issued Across UK as Temperatures Drop Sharply
Nine-Year-Old Becomes First Child in UK to Undergo Groundbreaking Leg-Lengthening Surgery
UK Workers Face Stagnant Incomes and a Softening Labour Market as Unemployment Climbs
UK Passport Rules Tightened for British Dual Nationals Under New Travel Guidance
California Deepens Global Climate Alliance with New UK Pact and Major Clean-Tech Investment Drive
UK Supreme Court Tightens Rules on Use of ‘Milk’ and ‘Cheese’ Labels for Plant-Based Products
University of Kentucky Postpones Feb. 19 Law Enforcement Training Exercise in Lexington
‘The only thing illegal is Keir Starmer handing these islands to a country like Mauritius!’
JD Vance says Germany is “killing itself” by taking in millions of fake asylum seekers from culturally incompatible nations.
UK Markets Signal Opportunity as Starmer Confronts Intensifying Political Pressure
Trump Criticises Newsom’s UK Climate Pact, Defends Federal Authority Over Foreign Engagements
UK’s Top Prosecutor Says ‘No One Is Above the Law’ as Police Review Claims Against Ex-Prince Andrew
Businessman Adam Brooks weighs in on the reports that the US is set to help Hamit Coskun flee the UK, over free speech concerns
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi Releases 3.5 Million Pages of Jeffrey Epstein Case Files
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Comment on European allies report blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using toxin from poison dart frogs
Eighty-Year-Old Lottery Winner Sentenced to 16.5 Years for Drug Trafficking
UK Quran Burner May Receive Asylum in the US Amid Legal Challenges
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Poland's President Advocates for Evaluating Independent Nuclear Weapons Development
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
Starmer Calls for Renewed ‘Hard Power’ Investment at European Security Summit
UK Police Establish National Taskforce to Handle Domestic Epstein-Linked Allegations
UK Court Rules Ban on Palestine Action Unlawful in Major Free Speech Test
UK Faces Prospect of Net Migration Turning Negative as Economic Impact Looms
Mayor of Serdobsk in Russia’s Penza Region Resigns After Housing Certificates Granted to Migrant Family Trigger Public Outcry
Pentagon Reviews Anthropic Partnership After Claude AI Reportedly Used in Operation Targeting Nicolás Maduro
President Donald Trump and Hip-Hop’s Political Realignment: Pardons, Public Endorsements, and the Struggle Over Cultural Influence
China’s EV Makers Face Mandatory Return to Physical Buttons and Door Handles in Driver-Distraction Safety Overhaul
Goldman Sachs and DP World Executive Resignations: Elite-Reputation Risk and Corporate Governance Fallout From the Epstein Disclosures
‘Amelia’: The UK Government’s Anti-Extremism Game Villain Who Became a Protest Symbol
Peter Mandelson Asked to Testify Before US Congress Over Jeffrey Epstein Links
Walmart's Earnings and UK Economic Data Highlight Upcoming Financial Trends
UK Green Party Considering Proposal to Legalize Heroin for an Inclusive Society
SpaceX's New Vision: Lunar City Takes Precedence Over Mars Colonization
OpenAI and DeepCent Superintelligence Race: Artificial General Intelligence and AI Agents as a National Security Arms Race
Document Suggests Prince Andrew Shared UK Briefing on Afghan Investment Opportunities with Jeffrey Epstein
We will protect them from the digital Wild West.’ Another country will ban social media for under-16s
McDonald's Shortens Breakfast Hours in Australia Due to Egg Shortage
Heineken announces cut of 6,000 jobs due to declining beer demand
Beijing Brands UK Hong Kong Visa Expansion ‘Despicable and Reprehensible’ After Jimmy Lai Sentencing
Tesco Chief Warns UK Is ‘Sleepwalking’ Toward a Joblessness Crisis
Trump’s ‘Act of Great Stupidity’ Comment on UK Chagos Deal Reverberates Through Diplomacy and Strategy
New U.S. filings say Jeffrey Epstein repaid Les Wexner one hundred million dollars after theft allegation
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledges 2012 visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island as lawmakers scrutinise past ties
×